Catalist

The Consultancy Services Framework brings together a number of framework agreements, providing access to a comprehensive range of services for the provision of specialist knowledge based advice.We know that the purchase of consultancy services is often difficult for procurement staff, project teams and line managers. Concerns around the correct choice of supplier, definition of requirements, ability to deliver and value for money are common.

Our series of framework agreements are designed to meet the specific needs of customers in the public sector. They are easy to use, compliant with EU procurement directives and consistently deliver excellent value.

Developed in consultation with customers from across the public sector, each framework agreement has been structured so that requirements can be called off quickly and standard terms and conditions offer users sound contractual safeguards.

At Buying Solutions we work closely with the supplier community and its trade associations, enabling us to provide you with all the advice and support you need across a range of industry issues and the procurement process itself.

Benefits

Sourcing through the Consultancy Services Framework offers a number of practical benefits including:

• Best practice procurement

Each of the suppliers on the framework agreement have been subject to a rigorous procurement process, ensuring they offer the scope and quality services required by customers in the public sector. Pre-agreed terms and conditions offer customers sound contractual safe guards.

• Value for money

Competitive rates have been secured and are fixed for 18 months. Transparent pricing structures and the facility to conduct further competition ensures that value for money is consistently achieved.

• Legislative compliance

The framework is compliant with the new EU procurement directives as well as UK procurement regulations.

• Collaboration and partnership

Buying Solutions has worked with colleagues from across the public sector to deliver procurement solutions which meet the needs of its customers.

• Efficiency

Customers can call off requirements quickly, saving the time and costs involved in undertaking a full tender exercise. Easy ordering processes and our eCommerce facility makes the framework extremely simple to access and use.

The scope of our consultancy offering is extremely broad. In order to help customers identify and access the services they require it has been divided into 4 key categories:

• Environmental Consultancy

The Environmental Consultancy offering provides multi-disciplinary professional and technical advice for the implementation of environmental policy across the public sector.

It is a simple means to procuring a range of environmental services and is flexible enough to meet a variety of organisational needs. Services range from single projects, reports, surveys and inspections through to strategic assessments, planning and implementation.

• Financial Consultancy

The Financial Consultancy Framework provides a quick and simple route to procuring a broad range of financial services to support a number of business functions.

The framework offers financial expertise, including consultancy on shared services, public private partnerships (PPP) and private finance initiatives (PFI). Specialist support is available to customers planning new or improved facilities. The scope of the offering also provides expertise for the classification and recording of transactions and the interpretation of their results, as well as professional advice on all aspects of audit and assurance, including forensic accounting.

• Functional Consultancy

The Functional Consultancy Framework provides public sector customers with the ability to buy professional advice and design services quickly and at competitive prices.

The framework covers four major business consultancy fields: HR, Procurement, Project and Programme Management and Marketing.

Each supplier offers a range of services with each of these functional areas.

• ICT Consultancy

The ICT Consultancy Framework offers consultancy services for a range of ICT requirements. These are divided into eight specific categories:

• IS Strategy and Development,
• IT Architecture Design,
• eBusiness,
• IT Security
• Telecommunications
• Application Design
• Emerging Technology and Enterprise Resource Planning.

• Organisational Consultancy

The Organisational Consultancy Framework provides public sector customers with the ability to buy professional advice and design services quickly and at competitive prices.

The scope of the framework includes Business Strategy, Organisational Development and Outsourcing Consultancy.

From strategy assignments to specialist advice the framework agreement provides the full range of consultancy services required for the development of high-level business strategy and organisational advice. The selection of suppliers available encompasses some of the most trusted names in the industry.